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[av_heading heading=’‘ATTACK ON PRESS IS ATTACK ON FREEDOM’’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY RANIE AZUE
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January 20, 2018
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Administration ‘only diverting public from real issues’
BACOLOD City – Media practitioners in Negros Occidental, together with the members of the militant groups under the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-Negros, staged a protest at the Fountain of Justice in front of the old city hall yesterday.
The nationwide “Black Friday for Freedom” protest is against what they assert as the “oppression” of the freedom of expression and the press under the Duterte administration.
Marchel Espina, chairman of the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines-Negros/Bacolod Chapter, said the administration’s attack on the media is only diverting the public from the “real issues” in the country, like the tax reform and proposed charter change.
The demonstration came a few days after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) revoked media outlet Rappler’s certificate of incorporation.
Rappler, which has released reports critical of the Duterte administration’s war on drugs, among others, was accused of using a “deceptive scheme” to circumvent constitutional restrictions on Philippine media ownership.
Aside from this, another news outlet – Interaksyon.com – was also shutdown, said Espina.
According to him, these are “intimidation” tactics against the press.
While calling these “demoralizing,” Espina stressed that “every attack on the media is an attack on freedom of expression.”
“He (President Rodrigo Duterte) called Rappler a fake news site after it reported the alleged intervention of SAP Bong Go in the P15-billion warship deal,” Espina said. “This is a blatant attempt to undermine the role of media in uncovering the truth, dismissing it as malicious propaganda thrown at the administration.”
He added that “armies of online trolls” continue to spread fake news while lawmakers in the House of Representatives “connive” to push for charter change in the country.
Despite these, Espina said the media will neither be intimidated nor silenced.
Espina encouraged all media members to be strong in these “trying times.”/PN
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